Apparatus for producing artificial ice.



II. I). POWNALL. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL ICEx APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, I9I3.

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In L/ HENRY DI POWNALL, OF CANT01\T OHIO.

.dPPARATU'S FOR. PRODUCING 'ARTIFICIAL Il'CE.

mentes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Merch 22, 1913. Serial No. 756,248.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, HENRY l). PowNALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ca,nton,in the county of Stark and State of Ghio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Artificial lce, ot which the following is a specification.

invention relates to improved apparutus 'for producing artificial ice.

@ne of its objects is to provide an im proved brine tank and ice mold construction ofthe raw water type.

Another object is to provide improved .means to prevent freezing in the water and air conduits leading to the ice molds.

Another object is to provide improved ineens to release the ice from the bottoms et' the ice molds. My invention also comprises certain deteils ,of forni, comblnation and arrangenient7 all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings in f which:

Figure l is e top plan view of a. brine tank unit embodying my invention, with the top or lids removed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line z e oit Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlerged sectional detail on line o o of litiga l. Fig fi isn` View siiniler to Fig. 2 of a modicetion.

The accompanying drawings represent the preferred embodiment of my invention in which t represents oneof severel counter mrt brine tenir units in eachof" which ure locs-ted one or more preferably a s 'ries oi' ice molds or containers B. As illust ated brine is supplied from a brine cooler to the tank ll through a. conduit 2 end circulated about the side walls of the containers and then nconducted back to the brine cooler` through a conduit. A central partition 4 oouses the brine to traverse a loop shaped path through the tank A. The bottom l-oi the tank is providedvwith perforations 5 beneath the, respective ice molds, beneath which perforations are detechably securedl coupling members D through which raw e water end air are supplied to the i'ce molds.

The ice molds ere vertically arranged rectangular sheet metal tubes having inwardly turned flanges 6 by means of which the ice molds are detachably secured by bolts 7 to of said couplinglmembers project below the plates'Q and have euch a raw water supply conduit l07 a raw water exit conduit 1L and an air supply conduit 12, said conduits being so arranged that air supplied under pressure through conduit 12 tends to create a low of raw waterto the ice mold through conduit l0, and a resulting flow of raw water charged with sediment or impurities Patented epe. es, une.

preferably of from the ice mold through conduit il. The l' air bubbles up through and agitetes the row water in the ice mold and escapes at the top,

and also serves to detach air bubblesy end solid impurities from the fece of the4 forming ice. As the freezing progresses, the ime purities accumulate in the unfrozen. water and arecarried away by the current Athrough conduit ll and conveyed to e settling reser` voir, not shown, where the impurities settle out and the raw water. returned molds through conduits l0.

The tank A is supported upon e. metal frame comprising channel bars ltand cross oars or strips 15 riveted to members 14. The members le rest upon piers 16 to elevate the tank above the door end give 'access to the bottom of the tank. The metal plates 9 rest at .one edge upon the lower flange of members 14 and at the opposite edge upon a strip or plete 17 suspendto the ice ed by bolts 18 from the central portion of members l5, and thereby inclose en air space or chamber 19 in which the :iii7 during the' freezing operation is ot' en even temperature slightly above freezing to prevent freezing of 'water in the coupling members D or the conduits leading thereto. Said chamber 19 also prevents excessive loss oit heet froinrthe bottom of the tank during the freezlng operation. v 4

As the .-brlne tank 1s at a lower tempereture tlv u the surrounding atnrosphere, there is u tendency for moisture to condense upon trated, the meeting faces of the tank and" its support are reduced to a. minimum,'and

any open-.spacesbetween the meeting edges of the tank and itsl support may be reached l and filled with pitch or other material toA prevent access ot air thereto, and hence prevent the condensation of moisture and consequent corrosion at inaccessible points,

While all `other parts ofthe tank bottom are accessible to vprotect them from corrosion. i

-A series of pipes Q0 arc supportedwithin the chamber 19 by hangers 2l from meinbers 15, S'aid pipes 2() are connected at 20 one end to a valve controlled supply pipe QQ andat the opposite end to a discharge pipe Q3. Either steam or heated brine may be supplied through, the pipe byopening its valve to enable the air in compartment 19 to be heated when itis desired to release the icc from the bottoms of the ice molds. This method of heating results in even and `gradually applying a dry heated air to the `I )ottoms 'of the ice molds, and

serves to prerent too rapid heating or local heating and tliereby\fraetiire the ice, and also i'nfevents corro/sive action at the bottom ot' the tank or the loosening ot any protect-ive covering formed on or employed to prevent corrosion ot' the tank bottoms.

lWhere steam is employed in pipes 20, I preferably employ' a steam trap 20 to discharge the water condensed in said pipes, but where heated brine is employed this brine is re- 40 turned trom pipes 2O to the heater by means or a pipe 27 shown in dotted lines Fig. l.

lt desired the air supplied to the compressor furnishing air to conduits 12 may be taken through pipe 2S to the compressor from chamber 19 thereby securing a cool air sup-- ply for conduits 1.2 and the air in chamber 19 replenished by conduit 29 from any pure source of air supply.

A sealing medium 4l() asfpitch for instance introduced in a heated or plastic condition, serves to seal the lioints at the bottom ofthe tank and tends to retard or prevent rapid freezing of ice upon the bottoms of the ice molds. By detaching thc bolts 7 and heating the lower portions of the ice molds they may be readily detached and replaced if delectivo, when the sealing medium reseals the Joints. Iln the modification Fig. 4t, .Af represents the tank, B the'ice molds, b the .bottoms of the ice molds, 5 the openings in the bottom of the tank, D the coupling members, 40 ay sealing medium, and 19 the air chamber beneath the tank and ice mold bottoms be- B tween the frame members 14. i i

scribed is capable of considerable modifiv.cation without'departing from the principle ot' my invention.

il. An artificial iee producing apparatus 'The apparatus,herein illustrated aud dei comprising .a tank ha ving an opening in its' bottoni,y an ice mold seated over said openv ing` 'and detachabtv secured to the bottom ol*l a'id tank. a coupling member attached on tbe'outside to the bottom ot said icel mold to 'conduct water and air to said iee, mold through the bottom ot said tank, and a housing forming an inclosed air chamber beneath said tank andl .surrounding the upper porwhen it is desired to release the ice from the bottom of the ice mold. i

3. An artiticial ice producing' apparatus comprising' a brine tank baring an opening in its bottoni, an ice mold seated in said tank over said opening and detaehably connected to the tank, a` strata of sealing inediiim inthe bottom oi: said tank surrounding the lower 'end of said mold, means to iutroduce air and water to said ice mold through its bottom, an inclosed air chamber in contact with the bottom ot said tank aml ice mold, and means to control the temperature of the air in said chamber.

4. An artificial ico producing apparatus comprising a, brine tank having a. series of openings inI its bottom ay plurality of ice molds in said tank seated over said openings and detachably secured inposition, means ,to introduce air and water to C:iid respective ice molds through said openings' in the tank bottom, an inclosure toi-ming; an air chamber below land in communication with the bottoms of said tank and icc molds, and means to control the temperature in said air chamber to prevent a freezing temperature therein during the freezing operation and to release the ice from the bottoms of' the ice molds.

5. An `artificial ice producing apparatus comprising abrine tank having openings in its bottom.' a. supporting frame supporting said tank in an elevated position from the floor, ice molds in said tank seated over said openings, and detachably secured in position,

. means to introduce water into said ice molds means to heat the air Within said chamber,

macerie m a houslng carried by said supporting frame signature in presence of two Witnesses. formmg an au' chamber 1n Contact Wlth the through said. openings in the tank bottom, n testimony whereof I have axed my bottoms of said tank and ice molds, and HENRY D' POWNALL 5 means to prevent a freezing temperature in vWitnesses:

said air chamber during the freezing operaf C. W'. MILES,

tion. H. THORNTON BoGFm' 

